Pea Shooter Posted 22 February , 2020 Share Posted 22 February , 2020 I saw a video off Andy Robertshaw explaining to some students that there was a tunnel to the sunken road that got the men to the sunken road for the infamous picture of the men huddled against the bank waiting for the order or whistle on the opening day of the Somme. I took this picture back in 2014 of the beginning of the road after you turn from the cemetery. How far in from this picture was the tunnel? Vaughn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter 1914 Posted 22 February , 2020 Share Posted 22 February , 2020 It’s approx 20-30 yards up on the left from where the bushes begin. There are some collapses and diggings which might mark where it came out, but after all this time, it is probably hard to be completely precise without archaeological soundings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Shooter Posted 23 February , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 February , 2020 Thank you Peter. Andy pointed at it and it was a depression in the ground. I have been going thru my pictures and trying to remember all the great places and stories that Bob Findley took us to and showed us. I was watching several videos of Beaumont Hamel recently and saw the story of the Sunken Road. I saw Peter Jacksons movie and remembered the classic picture of the boys at the sunken road. With that look of anticipation on all the faces. Great Stuff! Thanks again. Vaughn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted 23 February , 2020 Share Posted 23 February , 2020 I did a few trips with Bob. He was a terrific guide, and a fine man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Shooter Posted 23 February , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 February , 2020 His handle here was "Beselare". He was my go to guy. When ever I had a question, he had the answer. He was a wealth of information or pointed me toward the right read. I am sorry he is gone. Vaughn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted 23 February , 2020 Share Posted 23 February , 2020 Yes, it was his home village in Flanders. Previously he was a copper in Leicestershire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug504 Posted 23 February , 2020 Share Posted 23 February , 2020 This topic has been discussed in the past and can be found here via this link. Lots of additional information and detail. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Shooter Posted 23 February , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 February , 2020 Doug, sorry for being late to the dance. Thanks for the past posts and information. I thought I had it explained to me, but every little bit helps. Thanks again, Vaughn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steviebullsatatter Posted 24 February , 2020 Share Posted 24 February , 2020 13 hours ago, Pea Shooter said: His handle here was "Beselare". He was my go to guy. When ever I had a question, he had the answer. He was a wealth of information or pointed me toward the right read. I am sorry he is gone. Vaughn The other guide with a balding head lives round the corner from me..thoroughly nice chap and very knowledgeable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towisuk Posted 24 February , 2020 Share Posted 24 February , 2020 (edited) Hi, I posted a photo of the exit of the tunnel a few years ago.... the farmer had cleared all the undergrowth from that sideof the lane and exposed the different coloured disturbed earth that signified where the tunnel had been. About a year before I had been walking in the field behind the sunken lane and identified a crack in the surface soil running for a few metres in the exact direction of where the tunnel exit turned out to be. It had been a hot summer with very little rain and it appears the soil had dried out and cracked due to some disturbance underneath. There's a photo of the crack in the surface soil also on the forum somewhere.. The 20 yards quoted above is about correct, it just so happens that when I was looking at the disturbed soil in the sunken lane a well known "expert" appeared in the field above...he was leading a party round the battlefields. I was looking up at him from the bottom of the lane and asked him if he knew where the exit was to the tunnel from 1st July 1916...he pointed up the lane to where it is very shallow, I didn't let on I was looking at the collapsed exit below him that he could'nt see from his position, and who the hell would tunnel to a place where the enemy could plainly see the troops emerging from a tunnel.... Since then I take everything he says with a bucket of salt...!! regards Tom Edited 24 February , 2020 by towisuk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towisuk Posted 24 February , 2020 Share Posted 24 February , 2020 And here's the topic with the photo I posted in 2010... regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now